ROTBTD: Alphas
by TheWorldGoesBoom
Summary: An explosion. A blinding light. Those were the only two things The Big Four could remember after awakening from a month long slumber. Friendship blossoms as tragedy blooms within Archipelago. With altered looks and incredible powers, Jack, Merida, Rapunzel, and Hiccup are about to become the heroes the world hasn't yet realized they need. They are Alphas now, and they are ready.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second ROTBTD fanfic, nice and shiny and new, for all of my readers, my veterans and greenies alike. I know this isn't exactly a popular AU for ROTBTD, but I just absolutely love the idea of The Big Four being superheroes. There are so many possibilities...**

 **I really hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. It has taken a lot of time and care to write this at the same time as The Old Norse Scroll, but I'm hoping I won't become overwhelmed to the point of putting them on hiatus. I really hope you enjoy this story, it is very important to me.**

 **Enjoy!**

 ** _Jack POV_**

"Come on, Emma! Last one home loses!" I called over my shoulder, laughing.

Emma giggled and a grin spread across my face. We raced down the barren streets, the wind whipping at my clothes and my shoes slapping againt the crumbling pavement. The deteriorated street lay out in front of us in a stretch of rocky asphalt and littered sidewalks.

"No fair, Jack!" My younger sister called back, her short legs struggling to catch up with my long strides. "You had a head start!" She protested.

I stopped running for a moment. Once she passed me, I once again sped up, easily catching up to her as she ran down the street we lived on. It wasn't the nicest looking street, but it was good enough for a race.

"There, now you had a head start. Fair game!" I called, teasing her as I caught up easily.

I let her pull ahead slightly, only enough so she wouldn't be discouraged. Emma grinned again, showing the gap in her teeth where her left canine had once rested. When she had lost it last week, she had been excited all day for the tooth fairy to arrive, and leave a golden coin in place for her tooth. Mom had to bribe her with pancakes for breakfast to put her to sleep.

It was my job every day after school ended to walk Emma home. We tried to make a game out of it and have a little fun, and I enjoyed this time together. Today had been a particularly boring day for the both of us, so being able to stretch our legs and run home was a pleasure.

"Almost there." I shouted, joy-induced euphoria making it's way into my bloodstream.

Emma smiled at me and put on a little extra speed. I pretended to have difficulty keeping up with her and feel back slowly. She flew up the three cement steps leading to our house and slammed into the door, a victorious smile on her face.

"I won!" She yelled. I climbed the steps, looking defeated.

"There will be a next time, Emma Overland!" I shook my fist in the air dramatically.

Emma giggled and opened the door to our single story house. Dropping her pink school bag onto the floor, she turned to me, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Clutching her small hands to her chest, she looked up at me imploringly, their warm chocolate colour melting my resolve bit by bit.

"Can we go to the park, Jack?" She pleaded. "Please?"

I dropped my bag on the floor beside hers, the sight familiar. I took a quick look around the house, not hearing a single sound indicating anyone was home. Mom wouldn't be back from work for a while. It couldn't hurt to play outside for a little while longer... Fresh air and exercise was good for us, right?

"I guess." I told her, and smiled, seeing the huge grin on her face. "But we can't be too long. Mom'll get mad at me again."

"Let's go!" Emma said, grabbing my hand. I smiled and let her drag me along to the small park located on the other side of our street. I had to stoop down beside her, so she wouldn't rip my arm off as she dragged me forwards excitedly.

The park wasn't exactly an impressive piece of land, with dead grass and scraggly trees the only plant life present. There was a single swing located in the middle of the park, and a faded red slide off to the side. The real reason Emma and I enjoyed coming here was because of the pond.

It was a large, flat surface, with only a few weeds surrounding it. The water was always crystal clear, nearly free from pollution, an extraordinary feat in itself. Our favorite time to visit the pond was during the winter, when it froze over and we could skate on it. It was my second favorite thing to do, besides causing snowball fights, of course.

Unfortunately, the snow had melted weeks ago, leaving behind only damp grass and muddy potholes. Emma still enjoyed coming, however, because this was the pond where all the young ducklings and goslings swam about, following their mothers closely as they paddled in small circles.

Emma skipped up to the pond and crouched down. There were no animals in the pond today, except for the tadpoles that seemed to always occupy the small body of water. I never saw any frogs here, however, which often led me to think that they weren't actually tadpoles, but some other weird-looking fish.

"I wonder where all the animals are." Emma said aloud, voicing my thoughts.

I was about to agree, when suddenly, a loud boom could be heard. It was strong, and thunderous. It could have been heard for miles. It resonated through the streets, echoing off the walls of the apartment buildings and scaring off all birds that sat perched in the trees. It rattled my bones, and frightened me to the core.

"Emma." I said urgently. She had already stood and made her way to my side, scared.

"Jack, what was that?" She asked, her warm brown eyes wide with fright.

"I don't know." I muttered, my eyes searching the sky for what could have caused such a loud noise. The pearly white clouds didn't offer any answers, neither did the frightened birds still fleeing the park.

"Jack, I'm scared." Emma whispered. My heart lurched as she said these words, and I automatically began to comfort her.

"Hey, hey. Don't be scared." I soothed her. I crouched down and looked her in the eyes. "Look, why don't we make it a game, alright? We're just going to have...we'll have a little fun."

Emma looked up to me, searching for reassurance, when she spotted something behind my shoulder.

"Jack!" She cried, pointing behind me, her eyes growing wide with fright.

My eyes widened at the sight. An enormous wave of what looked like purple energy crackled through the air, passing through everything as it quickly made it's way towards us. It launched things into the air as it passed by, and people were screaming, running away, terrified. They weren't running playfully as Emma and I had done earlier, this was a natural response, something more primal. They weren't racing, they were fleeing.

I didn't think, I reacted. I wrapped my arms around Emma and pulled her to the ground, covering her small, shaking body with my own, careful to keep her head tucked tight into my chest. I felt her shaking, and felt my own heart pound against her warm body. I brought us down, onto the ground so I rested on top of her, careful not to crush her fragile body.

Taking a final look up at the sky, I saw the threatening purple wave looming above us. A sharp intake of breath was all I could manage to do before tearing my eyes from the scene. Ducking my head once more so my nose rested in Emma's silky hair, I prepared for impact.

The wave hit us, and I felt a jolt of quick pain flash through me. The world became incredibly bright, and I couldn't see. My only reassurance was Emma, who was still cradled in my arms, crying out from fright.

Before I could assure her that everything would be alright, the brightness faded, and I felt incredibly weak. I couldn't move, and quickly, darkness spread over me. The last thing I heard was Emma crying out my name, futily trying to shake me from the heavy slumber that had settled over me.

 _ **Punzie POV**_

I shut the small cage door on the crate that held a rather fat tabby cat. The feline hissed, but didn't lash out, which I was thankful for. I had had many experiences where the animals were so distraught that they lashed out at anything that moved.

"Hey, don't worry little guy." I told the annoyed cat. "Gothel will make sure you're de-wormed before you know it. You should be grateful, she's on of the best vet's I know."

I didn't tell him, however, that Gothel was the only vet I knew. Still, the cat seemed to calm down at the sound of my soothing voice, and I continued carrying him down the hallway, into Gothel's waiting room.

I was a volunteer at mother's animal hospital, Gothel's Veterinary Clinic, and I was in charge of taking care of the animals who had to stay over night. I was responsible for feeding the animals, soothing them when they became stressed or anxious, and cleaning their cages during their appointments.

I was also in charge of returning the pets to their worrisome owners. It was my favorite part of the job, seeing the relief and joy on the owners faces as they are reunited with their pets felt amazing. It felt like the brilliant sun shining down on your face after a long, cloudy winter.

"Rapunzel, dear." Gothel called in a sing song voice. "Please bring the tabby cat in, we're ready for him."

"I'm coming!" I called back, quickening my pace.

Gothel was like a mother to me, as I had never really known my real parents. Though she was stern, and insisted on keeping me in here for as long as she could, she was a wonderful woman and exactly who I wanted to be one day.

I once again lifted the cat carrier and began walking towards the small room in the corner, used mostly for minor procedures. I whispered soothing words to the cat as I placed him on the clean table. I opened the carrier and lifted him out, placing him gently on the smooth, sterile surface.

"Thank you, flower." Gothel crooned.

"No problem, mother." I told her. I bit my lip, unsure whether now was the right time to ask Gothel if I could leave early, to go see the light display at the nearby park's fountains.

"Gothel, would you mind if I-"

"What are you saying, dear? Speak up. You know I hate the mumbling." Gothel said, while laying the quickly sedated tabby onto the table gently, careful to lay his head down on a folded towel for a pillow.

"I was wondering if I could leave early today." I stated clearly. "To go see the lights."

Gothel looked slightly disappointed. "Now, Rapunzel. You know I need your help here in the clinic. I need the extra set of hands."

"I know." I muttered. "But, I was just hoping-"

"No, Rapunzel." Gothel said with finality. "Now, please, leave the room. I need to get back to work."

I looked down at my feet.

"Yes, Gothel." I left the room sullenly, closing the door behind me.

I looked out the window of Gothel's office, seeing a stream of children migrate towards the center of the town, and I sighed. How amazing it must be to be young and innocent, to be able to go see the brilliant lights whenever you fancied.

I wish I could go see the light show at the fountains in the park. Every day, they would light up just outside my line of sight. All I could see was reflections off the water, and the occasional spray of mist. I've been dying to see them ever since I moved here, and I couldn't help but feel like today was the day I needed to see them.

After a few more minutes of longing, I made a decision. I stepped outside, into the warm March air, and breathed in deeply, loving the feeling of the sun on my skin after spending all morning inside. Here in the city, the weather is almost always warm, even in the winters, it never dropped below freezing. It was very odd, especially compared to our neighborhood city, Archipelago, where winters lasted a little less than half the year. It was a meteorological feat of nature, one scientists have never truly been able to understand.

I ran across the courtyard like a foolish child, making my way to the edge of the well-groomed park, where the fountains were due to begin their show. I was giddy with excitement and bounced on the balls of my feet as I waited alongside a number of other people.

With a splutter, the fountains began spraying water higher into the air, and shimmering spotlights danced along the water, making it shine a rainbow of colours, reflecting light onto the crowd. This performance continued on for ten more minutes, and when it was finished, I was left breathless.

It was everything I had hoped it would be, and though I did feel slightly guilty about leaving Gothel alone, it was completely worth it. The lights were beautiful, and the fountains were so finely crafted it looked like magic.

Tearing through the most wonderful moment, was a loud, ringing boom that echoed cross the entire town. It was loud, and it hurt my ears. Several people screamed, including a startled yelp from myself.

I searched for the source of sound, scanning the streets and the sky. My back turned to the fountain, I could see a startled women gape at something behind my back.

Coming directly towards us, was a wave of purple energy, snapping through the air. It was knocking things down in it's destructive path, and threw things into the air as it advanced upon us. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before, something this massive and powerful. It scared me.

I saw a tiny child, no older than two years old, whose mother had lost him in the panicked crowd. He was crying, and looked frightened. I reached forwards and murmured comforting words to him. His racking sobs soon quieted into little sniffles as he clutched onto my clean white overcoat.

I had just enough time pull him closer, when the wave passed over us. I clutched the young boy, and kept my back to the wave, protecting him from any harm. There was a blinding light, and I couldn't see anything, not the sky, or the ground or even the menacing purple wave of energy.

A jolt of pain ran through me, making me gasp as though I had been shocked. I lay on the ground, suddenly feeling very weak. I couldn't move my arms, or my legs, or any part of my body for that matter. I felt the small boy wriggle closer into my arms as we lay on the ground. All I could do was wait until darkness swept over me and I fell into a deep sleep, keeping the small boy from harm, tucked into my protective grasp.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Merida POV**_

I drew the string of the bow back, the notch of the arrow resting against my pale cheek, spattered with small, red freckles. I shut an eye and took a deep breath, preparing to loose an arrow when a bright head of short, curly red hair popped up in front of the target. Frightened, I shot the arrow into the sky, and it soared above my head, into the vast forest that lay just beyond the property.

"Hamish, you wee devil!" I said, frustrated. "I thought I told you not to stand in front of the targets when I'm practicing my archery."

The young boy giggled and disappeared again, hiding behind one of the many trees that dotted our large property. I was the oldest of four children. I had three younger brothers, triplets actually, and the four of us never stopped getting into trouble. To complete my family, there was my mum and dad.

My dad encourages my wild and free spirit, us being very similar in temperament and ideals. My mother, I felt was the complete opposite. She would much rather that I grow up and become a proper lady than a world-class archer. I love her, but she tries too hard to try and make me into something I'm not, and it often caused intense quarrels between us.

"Harris, Hubert. I know you're hiding in the bush." I called. Two identical heads popped up from behind the target, giggling.

I rolled my eyes and placed my bow on the ground. I needed to go find that arrow I had shot into the forest. I only had a dozen with real arrowheads, and I didn't want to lose any. Not that I couldn't buy more, but these were sentimental. They were the first set of real arrows my father had ever given me.

I set foot towards the forest, the damp March air cooling me off as I continued searching for the missing arrow. I wrapped my light blue jacket around my shoulders tighter, trying to block out the brisk wind that had picked up suddenly.

I traveled a little further into the woods, searching the ground for a glint of shining metal. I went only a few paces forwards before I found it, it's polished shaft shining in the rare ray of light that had managed to break past the dense foliage of the trees.

I picked it up gently and began making my way back to our property, which backed onto the vast forest. I knew that if I took any longer, the boys would take it upon themselves to try and shoot my bow. I had promised them lessons this afternoon, and they would be holding me to my word.

Grasping the arrow tightly, I trekked through the trees, easily finding my way out of the forest. I broke out of the dense treeline and back into the yard, where, true to my suspicions, the boys were trying to notch an arrow on my precious bow.

"Oi!" I called, startling the three of them. "What do you think you're doing?"

The boys froze and dropped the bow and arrow, hiding their hands behind their backs. They grinned innocently, but I knew better than to trust the mischievous glint in their eyes.

I sighed. "I told you I'd teach you this afternoon."

I bent and scooped up my bow, checking to make sure no damage was done to it's fragile frame. I nearly dropped it when an eruption sounded off in the distance.

The boys all jumped, as did I, at the sudden sound. It was very loud, and resonated through the courtyard, echoing through the vast fields that surrounded us. The blast scared the boys, and they came running to my side, hiding in the folds of my clothes.

"Come on boys." I told them bravely, trying not to sound worried for their sake. "Time to go inside."

I turned and they followed, not bothering to pack up the targets strewn about our yard. I didn't search for the source of the sound, I only knew we needed to get inside, and quickly. We had only walked a few steps before I felt a tug on my jacket, pulling my attention down to a startled Hamish.

"What is it, Hamish?" I asked, a little impatient for us to get inside.

With wide eyes and a shaking hand, he pointed to the sky above our house. Harris and Hubert squealed when they saw what lay ahead.

A translucent wave of purple energy was making it's way towards us, crackling, and looming over us menacingly. I couldn't find any words to say, I could only gape at the monstrosity that advanced towards us. I froze for a moment, before my instincts kicked in and I reacted.

I grabbed the tiny hands of my brothers, and ran towards the forest, hopefully seeking shelter in the trees. For their credit, the boys remained relatively calm. I myself, tried to hold back my own fear, and remain steady and collected for both their sake and my own.

I looked behind us, and knew that the wave was already fast approaching, and that we wouldn't make it to the forest in time. With wide eyes, I crouched down and calmed my brothers, who looked to me, desperate for reassurance.

"Don't worry." I told them. "We'll be fine."

They huddled in closer to me, and I wrapped my arms around them quickly, desperately hoping for a way to get out of this situation. Seeing none, my head whipped over my shoulder, only to see the wave of purple sweeping over our house, tossing loose bricks and rubble into the air. It came closer to our location, and I turned back to my brothers, who had their eyes clenched shut with their faces buried into my arms.

"It'll be alright." I told them quickly. "We'll be fine."

It was the last thing I said to them as the wave of crackling purple washed over us. The world turned a blinding white, and I couldn't see anything. My brothers disappeared from sight, as did everything else around us. I felt a quick shock of pain and for a moment, I felt panicked, until I became incredibly weak. My arms and legs wouldn't move, and then my body. Soon, the world began to fade into black, and I began to lose my senses one by one.

I could hear my brothers, each of them saying my name in halting tones, as they shook my shoulders. I wished I could have answered, but could only lay there, with my eyes shut, and fall into a dark pit of deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you doing back there?" Gobber shouted above the noise, his thick, contorted accent demanding as he staggered over to my workshop.

I sighed and climbed out from behind the charged particle manipulator, the project I had been working on for months. It had increasingly grown in size as I continued working on it, and I was impressed with the progress I had made on the invention, as they often didn't work very well.

"I'm checking to make sure the hydraulics are working so when the activator sparks, the mainframe isn't fried." I drawled sarcastically, knowing Gobber understood none of what I had just said.

Gobber grunted and walked around to where I stood, tools strewn haphazardly about the ground. He tried his best to walk around them, but the task was nearly impossible for someone of his size. I couldn't help but wince once or twice as he kicked away a few expensive pieces of equipment.

"How long are you gonna fiddle with that thing ? I need your hands in the lab." He asked gruffly, pushing past a heavy hammer.

I sighed.

"I'll keep 'fiddling with it'" I said, using air quotes. "Until it's ready."

I turned back to the CPM and ran a few last minute tests for any possible electronic problems. Gobber looked at the contraption, trying to sort out what it did in his mind, but gave up and settled for frowning at it confusedly. He had been trying for months, and had given up by now, knowing it was far too complicated for him to figure out.

"Well, hurry up. Your dad's gonna be home in an hour. He still thinks you're going to school." He said. And with that, he left the dark, musty room, shutting the door behind him.

I sighed and began packing up my tools into the rusty tool case that barely held everything together. My Dad is the chief of police, and was always busy. He didn't know that I didn't attend school anymore. All he knew was that I was passing with honors, and that's all he needed to think he knew. The truth was, I had graduated high school an entire year early, and had been offered several scholarships for various engineering colleges and universities, even the odd science scholarship. I wasn't planning on telling him until the last minute possible, and that moment wasn't anytime soon.

It wasn't his fault he didn't pay attention, crime was very prominent in his precinct. Violent homicides were noticeable and persistent, always violent and well thought out. The most dangerous stunts were pulled off by the crime group known simply as the Dragons.

The Dragons had killed my mother years ago, in retaliation for Dad's squad killing several of their gang members during one of their famous raids. I was there that night, I watched them take her away, and shoot her. I had been injured during the attack as well. The leader of the group had found me, and had shot me in the left leg, making me unable to do anything but lay on the ground and watch as they murdered my mother.

I had seen them take her, and I could have done something. I knew that I could have stopped them, but I didn't. I didn't because I was afraid, and because of that, my mother died, and I lost my leg. I was a coward, I was weak, I couldn't kill someone. I wouldn't kill someone

They were the reason I know had a prosthetic, in place of a real leg. They were also the reason I still woke up at night, sweating and gasping for air. Now, arresting as many of them as possible was the only thing my Dad cared about any more.I liked to think that my Dad still cared about me, but nowadays, I wasn't so sure. We never spoke anymore, except for the very brief and very awkward conversations we had when we accidentally saw each other at home. I think I reminded him of my mom, something that was painful for the both of us, because remembering my mom meant remembering what I could have done that night to save her life.

I preferred not to remember, and so did my dad.

Shaking off the depressing thoughts that often surfaced when I was alone, I was about to lift the heavy toolbox up and make my way back into the office, when I spotted something amiss among the tangle of wires in the machine.

I leaned forwards, and noticed an extra wire, to my disbelief. It was blue, and very thin. I frowned. Who had put that in there, and what was it connected to? The only people who ever touched my invention was myself and the occasional scientist who had come to inspect it, making sure it wouldn't explode some day and wipe out the entire human race.

I tugged at the wire gently, testing the resistance. It was pulled taught, and I searched for a pair of wire cutters I could use to slice the wire. Finding an old rusty pair with dull blades, I pulled it out of the old toolbox and held it close to the wire. I snipped them shut, and a spark flared up. I pulled my hand back quickly and cursed. The wire was live!

There was another series of sparks coming from the wire, and I quickly searched the machine for the kill switch to turn it off, fearing the spark would set off some of the dangerous mixes of chemicals and metals.

I spotted it, the only problem was that it was buried deep within the machine, meaning I would have to stick my hand in to turn it off. I had first designed the kill switch early on in the project, meaning after I had begun adding extensions to the CPM, it had been lost in sheets of metal and dangerous wires.

I quickly calculated the odds. Huge explosion, or possible electrical shock? I chose the lesser of two evils, the electric shock. Burning my hands was sounding a lot better than burning down the entire lab. I shoved my hand deep into the machine, barely fitting past the tangle of wires, narrowly avoiding a possibly painful encounter.

"Who designs a machine like this?" I muttered to myself.

Right. I designed this machine.

I flipped the switch down, effectively turning off all electricity making it's way into the machine. I sighed, and wiped the sweat from my brow that I hadn't known gathered. I extricated my hand from the delicate mess of machinery and stood back, trying not to think of what could have happened had my hand brushed the live wire. Making a mental note to rewire the kill switch, I was already beginning to plan how I was going to do it.

All thoughts of relief disappeared, however, when I saw yet another spark light from within. Before I knew it, an explosion sounded, so loud that I could only hear the ringing in my ears when I was thrust against the walls of the small workshop. I crumpled to the floor, pain wracking my body.

I looked to the machine, and my breath clogged in my throat. It was glowing purple, and the energy surrounding it began to expand. I struggled to stand and run away to seek protection. Before I knew it, the machine exploded once more, filling the room with such a bright light I couldn't see anything. I was blinded and deaf, kneeling on the ground, still struggling to get away from the massive accident I had caused.

Another wave of pain hit me, this one feeling like an over charged static shock, only it covered my whole body and disappeared almost immediately, leaving me feeling sore and numb all at the same time.

I once again tried to stand, but I became so very tired. I was exhausted, and couldn't move at all. I struggled to remain awake, but soon fell prey to a heavy slumber, forcing me to succumb to the heavy blanket of sleep lain over me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, I owe you guys an apology. It's been weeks since I last updated, and I feel really guilty and terrible, but the truth is I just haven't felt motivated to do anything lately. My depression and anxiety have gotten worse since school started, and my updates have been suffering from it. I'll try to update as often as I can, but don't worry if they're late. I'll continue to update, there may just be some delay between chapters.**

 **Anyways, heres your next chapter! Nice and new and refreshed. I hope you enjoy it!**

 _ **Jack**_ _POV_

I woke up slowly and peacefully, memories of any previous tragedy absent from my mind. I opened my eyes to harsh luminescent lights above my head and knew immediately something was wrong. I sat up quickly and found myself sitting in a strange, white room. My first thought was about my sister.

Where was Emma?

I swung my legs around the side of the bed, and found myself dressed in a plain, dark blue sweatshirt and simple brown pants. I looked around the room, and saw no door, but rather a frosted glass panel.

The panel slid open, and a heavyset man walked in. He had a long beard and mustache, braided and knotted in seemingly random places. He wasn't particularly tall, but he was broad, and corded with muscle.

"Oh, good. You're awake." He said, his voice laced with an affected Scottish accent.

"Where's Emma?" I asked immediately.

The man sat down heavily in a chair placed at the foot of the bed I was now standing in front of. I shifted again, wary of this strange man, and this strange place.

"You're sister's fine." The man dismissed, waving a hand in my direction nonchalantly.

"Where is she?" I asked again. Taking a look around the room, I asked another question. "Who are you?"

"Your sister's at home, safe. I'm Gobber, head of BERK's Archipelago division. You're in our secondary HQ. I took on the job after my current employment was, uh, terminated." Gobber stood and gestured for me to follow him.

I was wary at first, but followed him nonetheless, not seeing many other options. Stay in a strange room with no exits, or leave with a strange man through an exit.

I'd take my chances.

"You remember anything from before?" The man asked. "Besides falling asleep, of course."

I frowned. Before? Did he mean before I fell asleep, or was there something else, something I might not remember. Which before?

"There was a giant, purple light coming towards me and my sister. It kind of hurt, I guess, but I don't remember anything else. If you could explain to me what's going on-"

"It'll all be explained... later." The man dismissed my concerns yet again. "So, you remember anything else before falling asleep?"

I frowned. Why did he want to know so badly?

"I remember not being able to see, then not being able to move. Why do you want to know?"

Gobber sighed. "They told me to go easy on the information for now, but I don't believe in that kind of stuff." He cast a disbelieving look my way. "You feeling fragile at all?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Bah, never mind." Gobber said. Why was he always so quick to dismiss things?

He took us through another doorway, and into what looked like a sitting room. It was empty, and I began to wonder if anyone other than Gobber and myself were in this building. It sounded dead, except for the occasional beep of a machine in the distance.

"The purple thing in the sky, was an explosion of weird matter. We call it the Shock Wave." He explained. He gestured for me to sit down in a chair. I did so, not sure what to expect next.

"Who caused it?" I asked, curious.

Gobber looked away. "Doesn't matter who caused it. It matters who was affected by it. You see, the Shock Wave changed very few people, made them different in ways you would never expect."

"Affected?" I said, a little slow in processing information. Give me a break, I had just woken up after being knocked out by a shimmering purple wave.

Gobber nodded again. "It changed how some people look, and apparently gave them special magic powers."

"Special magic powers?" I shook my head. That was completely insane. "That's-

"Crazy?" Gobber deadpanned.

"Well, yeah." I said, a little miffed.

"Then, I must be stark mad." Gobber joked.

I paused, a little put off by this mans rather abrupt and dark humour. Still, not to be made a fool of, I asked more questions.

"Why are you telling me this? Why tell me about people who were changed by some freak explosion and given crazy magic powers or whatever?"

Gobber snorted, disbelief crossing his face, as though he couldn't believe I didn't know already.

"Cause you're one of them." He told me, serious.

I froze.

"No." I denied it, but with a sinking feeling building in the pit of my stomach, I knew it was the truth.

Gobber let out a short laugh. "Ha! Have you looked at yourself in a mirror yet? Course you're one of them!"

I stood and looked around, looking for a mirror. If it were true, that I had changed, then I needed proof, not just the word of a crazy old man.

"There's a mirror in your room." Gobber told me, his expression softening at the panicked look on my face.

I nodded my thanks and left the room, searching for the frosted glass panel that served as the door. I looked for a handle to open it, but found none. When I came closer to the door, it slid open on it's own, using a motion sensor to glide effortlessly on it's rolling hinges.

I ran into the room and looked at the far corner, spotting an enormous polished mirror. I vaguely wondered how I had missed it when I woke up. I waked over to it quickly, eyes searching the reflection. I stared into the reflective surface, my eyes widened at the sight before me.

My hair was no longer dark brown, but stark white, with grey highlights. Not only that, but my eyes were no longer their signature warm chocolate colour, but a cold blue. I was a little frightened by these unnatural colours. They made me look deathly pale, and the only sign of colour on my face were two spots of colour on my cheeks, looking out of place among my new pale complexion.

"I told you." Gobber said from the doorway.

I stayed silent for a moment, taking a moment to feel my hair, not expecting anything to happen. I reached a hand up to my face, expecting it to pass through nothing. I was a ghost, pale and silent as I stared at this strange creature in the mirror.

Something struck me, something I direly needed conformation of. If it were true, that the Wave had changed how people looked, then did that mean-

"You said that the Wave also gave people...powers." I said weakly, not tearing my eyes from the mirror.

Gobber nodded. "Aye."

"So does that mean-"

"You have powers?" Gobber finished. "That's why I'm here. Come on, time for you to meet someone. Better get going, don't wanna be late, or she might bite my head off."

He muttered something else under his breath, and I caught glimpses of the words 'fiery' and 'difficult'. I closed my eyes for the count of three, then opened them again, hoping that when I did I'd be waking up at home, this whole thing being a hallucination after falling out of the oak tree in my backyard.

I opened my now, icy blue eyes to my reflection, and sighed. Numbly, I cast a final, disbelieving glance at the mirror before following Gobber out the door, off to a strange meeting with yet another stranger in this strange place, feeling detached from myself.

This was a dream, I was sure of it.

Or was I?


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, I'm sorry it took so long to update again, but I have a valid excuse this time! I had to do a ton of research for this chapter and the next, not to mention it's super long. Anyways, enough of my excuses. I hope you enjoy!**

 _ **Jack POV**_

"These are the bedrooms." Goobber explained to us. "Go ahead and choose one. Doesn't matter which, they're all the same."

I walked through the hallway, and noticed there were more than 6 doors lining each side of the corridor.

"Why so many rooms?" I asked.

"Well, we were expecting more than just three of you to show up after the explosion." Gobber said gruffly.

I noded, not quite sure what to say to that.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Gobber sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Come back down to the meeting room for the results tomorrow morning. No later than 9 o'clock. Try not to freeze anything, or burn anything, or do anything that could possibly destroy us all. See you in ten minutes." And with that, he was off.

"I'm getting the feeling he doesn't really trust us." I said, faking a disappointed expression.

Rapunzel, apparently not understanding the notion of sarcasm, replied earnestly.

"I think he does, he's just being... Gobber."

Merida rolled her eyes and walked down the hallway, choosing the door on the far right. She grabbed the handle and opened it. Punz and I followed her in. When we entered, we found her face first on the bed.

"Geez, Mer." I teased, not really knowing what else to do. "You were just asleep for a month, do you really need any more beauty rest?"

Merida groaned and rolled over. Rapunzel went and sat on the edge of the bed with her, while I stayed standing, leaning agaisnt the doorway. It felt like we had all known each other for longer than just a few hours. In only minutes, a bond had grown between us, and it felt reassuring to know that we weren't alone in this.

"This is completely mad." Merida said, her thick Scottish accent contorting the words slightly.

I nodded. "It doesnt feel real."

I held up a pale hand examining the lines that ran across my palms. I focused on trying to summon a single snowflake, and to my surprise, it worked. This was starting to get easier. Maybe this whole power thing wouldn't be as hard as I thought. I was already starting to accept it. I closed my hand, and the beautiful snowflake disappeared in my grasp.

"How does it even work?" Rapunzel asked, mostly to herself. "Our powers?"

"I guess thats what the reports are for." I shrugged.

Merida sat up and ran a hand over her face.

"They think I'm dead, my family. I promised my brothers archery lessons, and I never got to show the wee devils how to shoot." Merida said desolately.

I looked away, hurt and pain flashing across my face as I thought of my mom and Emma. How were they? I never got to see them, never got to say goodbye. I thought back to those last words I had told Emma. We're just going to have... we'll have a little fun. Load of fun this has been.

"Maybe...maybe it's for the best." Rapunzel said. "What would they do if they found out about our powers? What about everyone else?"

"They'd be shocked." I muttered, slightly bitter. "Scared."

"We wouldn't be accepted." Merida added darkly. "We'd be feared, hated even. We'd be seen as monsters out to get them."

We stayed silent, lost in our own dark thoughts. Images swirled through my mind as I thought of all the possibilities, each of them coming to the same, depressing conclusion. We were changed, we couldn't go back to what we had. All we could do now, was start over, and try to be happy.

"I guess we should sleep now." I said, my voice rough.

"Good idea." Rapunzel said, standing to join me in the doorway.

"One of the very few you've had." Merida muttered.

"It's always a joy, being around you, Princess." I drawled.

"Same goes for you, Frosty." Merida muttered, though I could see the spark of gratitude in her gaze.

I nodded once. I left the room, heading towards the room in the center of the hallway, in between where Rapunzel and Merida had chosen to sleep. I walked inside and lay down in the soft bed, allowing the gentle covers to soothe me to sleep.

 _ **Punzie POV**_

I looked down at the list in front of me, the crisp piece of paper slightly crumpled in my grasp. The neat, orderly font danced around the page, explaining the extents of my powers.

 _Create/generate/increase, absorb, shape and manipulate light and colors._

 _Bend and/or shift light particles_

 _Holographic Projection_

 _Invisibility_

 _Visual Illusions_

 _Light Attacks_

 _Photokinetic Constructs, including weapons, walls, armors_

I noticed that there was typing on the back, in a smaller font. I wondered why it was placed there before reading it.

 _May have ability to heal others, and/or regenerate cells by using photokinetic properties_

Healing? Was I atually capable of healing people? Could I create holographic projections, or create solid matter out of light particles? It all seemed like a fantasy, it wasn't real. These were powers superheroes had, the ones in comic books and movies. Not me, not the shy girl who was homeschooled, who volunteered in her mothers veterinary clinic.

But it was me, or at least, it could be.

I looked up from my page to see Jack studying his page very closely.

"What does yours say?" I asked.

Jack looked up from his page and gestured for me to come over to where he was sitting. I stood from my leather chair and made my way over. I read his printed page quickly.

 _Create/generate/increase, shape and manipulate cold for various effects, freezing areas of differing sizes/shapes and/or objects for several effects_

 _Cold Energy Manipulation_

 _Frostbite, ability to freeze anything to atomic levels making it fragile._

 _Shape, compress, and/or otherwise manipulate ice._

 _Efficacy Manipulation including speed, density, hardness and/or sharpness of ice and/or snow_

 _Cryokinetic Constructs including weapons, walls, armors_

"Wow." I said. "That's...a lot of possibilities." It made my list look slightly less in comparison, not that this was a competition.

"Let me see yours." Jack said, grabbing for my page. His eyes scanned over my page quickly before he handed it back.

"Invisibility? Thats amazing!" He said. "And holographs! You could make a picture of me out of light." He gave a small grin.

"Why on earth would she want to do that?" Merida mumbled from her chair on the other side of the table.

"Why on earth would she not?" Jack quipped.

I gave a small laugh and looked over to Merida.

"What about you, Mer?" I asked. "Can we see your list?"

"Sure. Pass me yours." She held out a hand with her paper in it.

I thought that this seemed very casual, like we were exchanging notes after class, not comparing what supernatural powers we all possesed after a freak explosion had changed our entire lives.

Definitely not casual.

I grabbed the paper out of her hand and passed her Jack and I's. I put the paper on the table and read over it carefully.

 _Create/Generate/increase, absorb, shape and manipulate fire._

 _Burning/Melting_

 _Incineration_

 _Fire Attacks_

 _Flame Solidification_

 _Pyrokinetic Constructs, including weapons, walls, armor_

 _Electrical Resistance by super-heating the air, creating an "Air Lens" to block off electricity_

I looked up from the page to see Merida frowning as she read our papers. I looked to Jack who was still taking his time to read it.

"You can block electricity?" I asked. "That's incredible!"

"Forget blocking electricity, she can incinerate things!" Jack said, pushing his chair away from the table.

"You both have some interesting powers." Merida said. "Invisibility sounds cool. And atomically freezing things? It's bloody amazing."

The door behind Jack and I suddenly slid open, admitting Gobber into the room.

"Sharing stories, are we?" He asked, amused. He sat down heavily in the chair at the head of the table. It sank under his weight and groaned, and I almost felt bad for the chair.

"Is it true, what the sheets say?" I asked.

Gobber scoffed. "They better be. Spent thousands of dollars on those scanners in the gym."

"Scanners?"

Gobber nodded. "That's how we get the test results. How else are we supposed to figure out how your mumbo jumbo powers work?"

"Mumbo jumbo?" Merida asked.

"Aye." Gobber replied in all seriousness. "Mumbo jumbo."

"Mumbo jumbo aside." Jack cut in. "How do we know we can do all these things?"

"More tests." Gobber said nonchalantly. "Lot's of training."

He leaned over the table and tapped it, the screen flashing to life. A small logo appeared in the center again before a small square appeared at the spot where each of us sat. I saw Jack moving his chair along the length of the table, seeing if the image followed him. It did and he grinned.

"These are some pictures we managed to take during the Sonic Wave." he said, his voice suddenly somber. "We also took some of you, while you were transforming."

"You took pictures of us... while we were sleeping?" Merida asked, incredulous.

"For science." Gobber declared, before tapping the table again.

There was a slightly blurry photo of a cluttered room, washed in a purple glow. I noticed a large machine in the center, it was surrounded in the brightest colour of purple in the room.

"What's that." Merida asked, tapping the machine. To my surprise, the image zoomed into the machine where Merida had tapped it.

"That was a charged particle manipulator." Gobber explained. "It's what set off the Sonic Wave."

"How?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"The only person that would have the slightest clue would be... my apprentice. He's still asleep. Load of help he's been." His voice beccame rough, the more he spoke.

I had a feeling he was holding back more, because he didn't know how to express how he felt in words. I felt sympathy for this man, who obviously cared for his mysterious apprentice. He wasn't the only one who had lost something after the Sonic Wave.

"Is that him?" Jack asked excitedly. He tapped the image and zoomed in on something in the far left corner.

I looked closely at the image and noticed a lanky figure with their head bowed to the camera, so we were unable to see their face. It was a boy, maybe our age, maybe a bit younger, who was kneeling on the ground, one arm over his face to block the bright light.

"Odin's beard..." Gobber said, sounding awed. "He was in the room when it happened."

The person's back was to the camera, and the photo was blurry, not giving us the best view. Before I could examine the photo anymore, Gobber changed it to the next one.

"I'll send it back to the higher-ups, get them to go over it." He said, still sounding a little shocked about Jack's last comment on the picture.

The next one was of the Sonic Wave itself, the crackling shape of the expanding energy barrier sweeping over a crowd of people. To my horror, there were a few people lying down on the ground where the Wave had already passed through.

Before I could focus too intently on the people in the photo, it switched to a picture of who I assumed was Jack, laying in a hospital bed. His eyes were closed, so I couldn't tell what colour they were, but his hair was brown, and he actually had a bit of a tan.

"That's me." Jack said, confirming my suspicions. "Before I woke up."

Gobber nodded. He switched to the next photo.

"This was you about a week after we found you." He explained.

It was a photo of Jack again, though this time his hair was beginnng to turn white, with small streaks lining his hair. His skin was much paler and he looked a little skinnier than the last picture.

"This is..." Jack began.

"Weird?" I offered.

"Next picture." Jack nodded.

Gobber changed the picture and it went to me. I looked the same, except for my hair. It was short and dark brown and choppy, cut close to my head. It made me seem...older. I looked down at the huge braid hanging from my head at the moment. Then, I looked back to the picture. The stark contrast was almost comical.

The picture changed again and there was me again, asleep. My hair was about waist length, a colour stuck in between gold and brown. Jack was definitely right. This was weird.

"This is starting to get a little creepy." Merida muttered.

"You're telling me." Gobber said. I looked at him, confused.

"It's not like I want to see pictures of you three sleeping, but you're supposed to see how the Sonic Wave affeccts certain people." He explained.

He changed the picture agin, and there was Merida. Her hair was less wild, the curls looser and more orderly. It was also closer to auburn than red, a rusty colour that didn't match her pale skin tone.

"My eyes used to be green." Merida explained.

"Mine used to be brown." Jack added. "What about you, Blondie?"

"Still green." I said.

The picture changed yet again, and the differences weren't as subtle as I would think them to be. Merida's hair was now a blend of dark orange and a flaming red, and her bare arms were thick with muscle. She looked determined even in her sleep.

The picture changed yet again to an image of empty streets. I recognised this street, it was the one I lived on. I looked closely at the picture and noticed the fountains in the background. The streets were filled with small bits of debris, branches of trees and small pieces of metal. The weird thing was, surrounding the fountains, there was nothing. It looked like it hadn't been affected at all.

"What happened?" Jack asked. "Did the Wave do this?"

Gobber nodded. "Aye. We found that the surrounding area around you three was free from destruction, like the Wave hadn't even hit it."

"Do you think it had something to do with our powers?" Merida asked as the next picture was shown.

"That's what we think." Gobber said. "It's what first led us to thinking there was something special about you three."

The scene in the next picture wasn't familiar to me. It was a small park, with scruffy trees and dead grass. In the center lay a small pond and in the background lay an old, faded slide. Broken trees formed a ring around a seemingly perfect circle, unaffected by the Wave.

Judging by the look of nostalgia on Jack's face, I figured this was where he had been when the Wave had hit. I carefully placed a hand on his forearm, checking to see if he was alright. He looked up from the image with sad eyes, but a grateful smile played on his lips. I smiled back and looked back down at the projector table, waiting for the last picture to slide into place.

A huge house came into view, made of grey stone and marble pillars. A huge yard surrounded the giant building. The grass was manicured, and the bushes trimmed to perfection. Behind the large yard was a dense forest, filled with lush trees and mossy logs.

"Woah." Jack said. "That's a big house."

Merida nodded. "It's my family's estate. Me and my brothers were shooting arrows in the fields when the Wave hit us."

I noticed small wooden targets lined up along the property, and about halfway through them, they became scattered, and broken into small pieces. Taking a closer look at the house, I noticed a few bricks had crumbled away, leaving the occasional dent in the stone walls.

The picture shrunk until it finally disappeared, replaced by smaller versions of the BERK industries logo.

Gobber stood, as did we.

"Today you're gonna spend some time trying to control your powers." Gobber cast a look at Merida. "We already know strong emotons can activate them, now you're gonna learn how to activate them without wanting to punch something. I'll see you in the gym in half an hour, I have to go look at some reports."

And without any further departing wishes, he left the room, leaving us to sit in uncomfortable slence


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry the updates are taking so long! Here's an extra long chapter to hopefully make up for it. Read on, and enjoy!**

 _ **Merida POV**_

The three of us sat in folding chairs located in the control room. There was a large desk that wrapped around the room, and it was covered in flashing lights and shiny contraptions. The building was very high-tech, but this room trumped it all.

The floors were polished steel, just like the rest of the building, but that's where the relativity stopped. The walls were painted a dark grey, almost smoky black. The even cut stones bled into the room seamlessly, giving the training area a strong sense of security and toughness.

"Who wants to go first?" Gobber asked us. We spent a few seconds exchanging glances, before Jack sighed and stood up.

"I guess I'll go first then." He said, not looking the slightest bit enthusiastic.

He left the room and went to stand in the center of the gym. Taking his hands out of his pocket, he faced the small window that offered us a view of what was about to happen. He flashed us a small grin an a thumbs up, trying to hide his nerves. Punzie giggled from beside me and I snorted. He was such a goofball, in an older-brother type way. It was amusing to watch, not that I'd ever admit it.

"What now?" Jack called, gaze trailing over the barren walls.

Using a microphone located in the center of the control room computer panel, Gobber spoke to him over the speakers. His rough voice echoed against the hard stone walls, and Jack started slightly when he heard it amplified to an almost unbearable volume. We all winced at the small shriek the sound system made once it was turned on.

"Try summoning something." Gobber suggested. "As fast as you can."

Jack nodded and held out a hand. With only a few seconds of concentration, a snowball appeared. He looked up at us, waiting for further instructions.

"3.4 seconds." Gobber read off a monitor. "Faster."

"Faster?" Jack asked.

"Go!" Gobber shouted, prompting Jack to try again.

The cryokinetic looked a little startled, but concentrated again, holding out his other hand this time. It took a little longer this time, and I frowned. Eventually another snowball appeared in his palm.

"4.7 seconds." Gobber read again. "That wasn't faster."

"Thanks Gobber." Jack said sarcastically. He looked tired. Why was this taking so much out of him? Was this normal? Would I find it hard to summon things quickly, or all in a row? I would have to wait and see, and I grew slightly anxious thinking about it, not that I let it show. Punzie stood from her chair and made her way out into the gym. I followed her, curious.

"Are you alright, Jack?" She asked, genuine concern in her voice.

"Yeah." Jack said, dismissing her worries. "Just a little tired."

"Why did it take so much energy to summon snowballs?" I asked, not meaning to sound incredulous.

Jack frowned at me. He must have thought I was judging him, when I was only curious. His frown didn't disappear when Gobber walked out of the control room, lumbering over to where we stood. Gobber finished typing with a final tap on the space bar.

"I checked the scanners. Apparently there's something resisting your powers." He told us, hands placed firmly on his hips.

"Something's blocking my powers?" Jack asked, sounding a little worried.

Gobber nodded. He pointed a thick finger at Jack.

"It's you." He said, in a matter-of-fact tone. We all took a moment to absorb this odd statement.

"What?" Punzie asked, looking confused.

Gobber nodded once more. Now I felt just as confused as Punzie, and before I could ask a question, Gobber continued talking.

"Something inside you is blocking your powers. They don't want to come out, they want to stay all bottled up inside." He explained, using weird hand gestures.

"Is that why I'm so tired?" Jack asked, still sounding a little winded.

"It would make sense." I answered. "You're trying to pull your powers through, but somethings working against you. It's double the work."

Jack looked down at his hands, like they were responsible for this. "How am I supposed to summon my powers without passing out?"

"Training." Gobber said simply.

"That's your answer to everything" Jack deadpanned, not looking very impressed.

Gobber shrugged. "It's a valid answer." He said, turning to Jack. "We need to test your limits."

"And what if my limits kill me?" Jack asked.

"Then we'll be down a sassy cryokinetic." Gobber said, indifference and sarcasm lacing his words.

Punzie and I followed Gobber back to the control room, both of us as excited as Gobber, who couldn't wait to continue training. Gobber sat down in front of the super computer's monitors and his fingers flew across a computers keyboard. For a man with such a lumbering figure, it was a bit of a surprise seeing how fast his fingers moved along the keyboard.

"You can summon snow." Gobber said over the speakers. "Try doing ice."

Jack nodded and looked determinedly at the ground. He spread his hands out, palms facing the ground. He swept his arm to the side, and covered the ground in an icy sheen. The clear layer of frozen water glistened under the incandescent light.

"Good. See if you can build it up, make a shape or something out of it." Gobber announced, hitting a button on the console.

Jack nodded again, and held his hands out away from his body. He shut his eyes, concentrating on summoning more ice. He swept his hands up nimbly, stepping into the fluid movement. Jack moved with an unexpected nimbleness, as though he spent his free time balancing on playground monkey bars. With a graceful swoop, a pillar of ice climbed up to Jack's height. He took a step back t admire the spiky structure.

"Good job." Gobber said. "Think you can go another round?"

Jack panted but looked at Gobber. He nodded and set his jaw.

"Alright, try something new." Gobber said.

"Like what?" I heard Jack's weak response.

"I don't know, improvise." Gobber hit yet another button on the complicated console, and I wondered how he managed to remember which button did what. "You can make an ice rink, for all I care."

Jack nodded once more and looked around he room. He held only one hand in the air this time, his palm facing the furthermost wall from the control room. Not knowing what to anticipate, I leaned forwards in my chair eagerly.

Jack lifted the other arm up slowly, and I began to laugh when I saw what he was doing. He was making a snowman, one that oddly resembled a pile of mush. When Jack's arm finally dropped to his side, he looked like he was ready to drop to the floor and sleep.

"That wasn't bad, for a beginner." Gobber said.

"It looks like you." I told Jack, teasing in my voice.

Gobber tried to ignore me as a new flashing warning appeared on the monitor. Gobber frowned and investigated it. Then, Jack began to stumble over to the control room, sweating. I frowned and stood, following Rapunzel out the doorway.

"Are you okay, Jack?" Punzie asked.

Jack mumbled more incoherent words as he slumped down into a kneeling position, before sitting, legs sprawled as he rested his weight on the back of his hands. Rapunzel placed a hand on his shoulder, looking very concerned. Then, to my surprise her hair began to glow.

"Punzie, your hair-" I began.

"I know." She said. She grabbed a small strand of her hair and held it in her fist. She then placed it across Jack's hand. He tried to shake it off, but Punzie muttered a gentle no. Jack settled for sitting there looking equally exhausted and confused.

I was just as confused ask as to what Punzie was doing, and my confusion only grew when the golden light of her hair began seeping into Jack's skin. His eyes grew wide as he glanced Punzie, looking slightly frightened.

"There." Punzie said, after a few moments of silence.

"What were you doing?" I asked.

"I think...did you just-" Jack began.

Punzie blushed slightly and pulled out her list we had received earlier today out of her pocket. It was folded more than once, so that it was smaller than her fist. She opened it carefully and spread it out in front of her.

"On the back of the sheet, there was some smaller print." She held out the page for Jack and I to see. I read it aloud.

"May have ability to heal others, and/or regenerate cells by using photokinetic properties." I recited, eyes dancing along the leaflet. I gaped at Rapunzel. "You can heal people?"

She nodded. "I figured I'd try to heal Jack, see if what it said was true."

"So I was the test dummy?" Jack asked. "What if I had exploded or something?"

"I would have thrown a party." I drawled, amused.

Like a child, he stuck his tongue out at me, and I returned the gesture.

"Well why don't we continue testing your powers, Rapunzel." Gobber said, turning around in his spinning chair. He had been rapidly typing into the computer on the table this whole time, and had only now tore his gaze from the screen.

Rapunzel nodded nervously and stood, biting her bottom lip.

"Show us what you got, lassie!" I called out encouragingly, following an amazed Jack and an eager Gobber into the control room.

 _ **Punzie POV**_

I gave a small, determined nod, allowing the warmth that formed in the bottom of my chest to blossom throughout my body. I saw my hair begin to glow and I smiled a little. I touched the thick braid containing all 70 feet of my hair, the warm glow clinging to my hand.

I clasped my hands together, allowing the soft golden light to grow until both my hands were covered in it. I pulled them apart, marveling at the swirling light that danced along my skin. I took a deep breath and focused on conducting the light into a small spherical shape.

I balled one hand into a fist, then opened it, feeling the tiny globe of energy sitting on my palm swirl in reaction to my anticipation. Although it was small, I new that this small ball of solar energy held a lot of power. I didn't try and throw it with both hands this time. Instead, I tried throwing it like how Merida had, as though it were a baseball.

I threw it at the wall and watched as it struck the concrete and exploded. Spark-like flakes of light rained down from where I had hit the wall, and I felt proud. I beamed back at Gobber, Merida and Jack in the control room. Jack gave an encouraging smile, but was still looking down at his hand with a confused frown.

I saw Gobber hit another button on the control panel and I wondered what he could be doing.

"Try something new." Gobber ordered.

I nodded. What else had the list said I could do? Invisibility, but I didn't have the slightest clue on how to do that. It did say I could manipulate existing light...

I looked up to the domed ceiling above me, focusing on the hanging fluorescent lights. I held out a hand, and imagined absorbing the energy radiating from the lights, like it were a real, tangible object. I focused on wrapping my mind around the lights, and pulling them down to me.

I watched as the lights slowly faded, until they went dark. I felt a surge of power run through me. The luminescent energy I had been expecting didn't come this time. This was a cold light, clean and clinical. I released the energy, and in an instant the lights went back up to the ceiling.

"Not bad." Gobber said over the speakers. "Try something else, then it's your turn, Dun'Broch."

The sheet had said something about holographic projections. Could I create a picture out of light? I could at least try.

I lifted a still glowing hand and raised it towards the ceiling. I pictured a sun, one I enjoyed painting in my spare time, and instead imagined light particles as the paint, and my mind was the paintbrush. I pushed the particles together, increased the brightness of some, and made others larger than most, all with the goal of recreating the graceful sun I always incorporated into my art.

With a final push, I dropped my hand, feeling a little tired. I looked up at the image above me. I beamed, victorious. It was a little shaky, and the lines weren't as defined as I'd wish they'd be, but it was a sun, my personal symbol.

"Woah." Jack said, stepping out of the control room.

He craned his neck upwards, as did Merida, to see the shimmering sun glowing in the air. He raised an arm upwards, and ran his fingers through the light. Nothing happened to the image I had painstakingly created, thankfully.

"That's beautiful, Punzie." Merida told me. My smile only grew.

I looked up, one more time at the shining mirage before waving an arm at it, imagining the light particles disbanding. The sun disappeared quickly, as not much was holding it together. There was a quiet beeping from the control room and I looked back to see Gobber entering the gym from the control room.

"You're next. Give it your best shot." Gobber told Merida gruffly.

I walked side by side with Jack into the control room, and we took our seats behind the window. Merida looked ready, and as determined as ever. I had to admire her fiery personality. It may make her a bit of a hothead, as Jack would put it, but it also made her brave, a quality I aspired to have one day.

Merida's hair slowly caught fire, and I almost cried out, before remembering that the flames couldn't hurt her. One of her hands caught fire as well, and when it curled into a fist, it looked like a fireball. She flicked her hand out to the side, and a ball of fire flew into the wall. Fire still licked at the stone ground even after the fireball disappeared. Next, she made a column of fire dispel from her hands, like a flaming blow torch. I could see the heat waves radiating from it as it scorched the air.

Gobber whistled and looked at the computer screen.

"That fires at 200 degrees celsius." Gobber said, sounding awed.

Jack looked astonished. "How is the floor not melting?"

Gobber shook his head. "The melting point for steel is 1510 degrees celsius. What's incredible is that her molecules are vibrating fast enough that she should be on fire, but she's not."

I stared slack jawed at the bright red fire that was still radiating from Merida's hands. When the flames finally died down, Merida was beaming. She finally swept one arm upwards, creating a streak of fire. She looked very focused as she concentrated on holding the fire where it was. It wavered and a few puffs of flame escaped her hold, but she managed to hold the pillar of fire upright for more than ten seconds.

When the fire finally disappeared, Merida was breathless, but smiling.

"Not too bad." She said.

"Let's go." Jack said, standing.

"The room's temperature's still 75 degrees celsius." Gobber interrupted. "If you walk in there, you'll melt like ice cream in the summer."

"Oh." Jack said, looking less excited. "In that case, let's not go."

Gobber pushed his chair along the table and hit about three buttons along the way.

"Just give me a moment." Gobber said, pulling a tiny lever on his left. "There. The room's cooling down."

Within only a few seconds, Gobber deemed it safe to enter the gym.

"That was amazing." I told Merida. She looked tired, like she had run a few laps, but not as exhausted as Jack had been.

"Thanks, Punzie." She said, looking as equally excited. "That felt amazing."

"I have to admit, it looked really cool." Jack said, giving a mischievous grin. Merida smiled at the compliment.

"I've got to go now." Gobber announced, walking out of the control room. "Have to file more bloody reports."

He slid the bolt open on the door and left, leaving it open behind him. I always found it weird how Gobber never felt the need to say goodbye, he only stated what he was gong to do and then left.

"So what now?" I asked, looking around the room.

"We could keep practicing." Merida said with an excited grin.

I smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, I'm back! I've noticed that not a lot of updating is happening on my end, so I really hope that this super long chapter makes up for it.**

 **So, as is custom with most of my fanfics, there's a large time skip. Well, not that large, only a few (5) months long. Hope you guys will like where this is going, even if it's a little hard to tell at this point.**

 **Leave reviews if you have any questions or concerns, or if you're just feeling generous. Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

 _5 months later..._

 _Jack POV_

"Jack!" Merida yelled, wiping the snow off of her face.

I laughed and took off in the opposite direction. I had managed to nail Merida in the face with a snowball while she was preoccupied with training in the gym, and her reaction had been absolutely priceless. Her face had almost turned the colour of her hair, a bright orange offset by the flames she held in her hand. I decided it had been totally worth it as I fled down the hallways on a thin sheen of ice.

"I'm gonna bloody murder you!" Merida called. She sounded like she was getting closer.

"Have to catch me first, Princess." I yelled over my shoulder, grinning brightly.

I ran up the stairs onto the second level. We had only recently been allowed into the tech hallway, mostly due to Gobber's lack of trust when it came to us and our powers. The second floor housed the more office-oriented half of HQ. It's where the technical workers liked to hang out, and where Gobber often went to escape our crazy antics; until we started bringing the antics to him.

I passed three rooms with glass walls that held the chemistry labs and made my way towards the very back of the building, where I knew Gobber's office was located. Gobber's office was the only room with a window that opened; a perfect escape route for a flying boy and a girl whose feet were stuck on the ground.

I smiled as I heard the sizzling of snow being melted, knowing that Merida followed closely behind me. I swung Gobbers door open, and saw the giant man sitting at his desk, glasses too small for his face perched on the bridge of his nose, peering at his computer.

"Jack? What in the name of Thor are you-" He began.

"Hey, Gobber." I said nonchalantly. "I need to jump out your window."

I leaped over a pile of loose papers on the ground and made my way to the large glass pane.

"What is going on-"

"Jackson Overland Frost! When I get my hands on you-" Merida shouted from the hallway. I increased my pace.

I fumbled with the latch and swung the window open, standing in the frame. I saw a flash of red down the hallway and knew Merida was only seconds away.

"Don't tell her I was here. Thanks, Gobber." I called. I tumbled backwards out the window and summoned the wind to catch me. I fell only a few feet before hovering steadily in the air, smiling when I realised I had gotten away.

"Oi, Gobber." I heard Merida's thick accent cut through the rush of wind. "Where did-"

"Out the window." Gobber answered without hesitation.

"Traitor!" I called from where I hovered in the air.

I didn't hear what Gobber muttered under his breath, but assumed it was some crude comment about Merida and I's constant fighting. Merida walked up to the window and stuck her head out, her red hair twisting and fluttering in the wind.

"Frost, I swear-"

"Sup hothead?" I asked casually. I swooped through the air so I was just below the window. I lay on my back, hands in my pocket.

Merida didn't say anything, just dropped a small fireball from the window pane.

"Woah!" I called, narrowly dodging the flaming balls of death she continued to throw at me. "Careful Princess, you might actually hit me one of these days."

"That's the point." She growled. She continued in the assault.

"Would you two mutton heads cut it out." Gobber said from his office, still typing away in his swivel chair.

I looked up to the window. Merida glared at me, but pulled back inside. I warily rose up to the window and landed unsteadily on the pane. Her hair was still smoldering, but I deemed it safe to enter, because Gobber was standing in between the two of us.

Gobber was frowning, though not at us, but at a large tablet he held in his left hand.

"What's the problem?" I asked him. I stayed a cautious distance away from Merida, whose hair I was sure was still smoldering..

He stayed silent before swiping the screen.

"Oi, earth to Gobber." Merida said, not looking as intent on killing me as earlier.

Gobber muttered something under his breath before tossing the tablet onto his desk. His jaw was set and he looked grim.

"Get Rapunzel and stay in the meeting room." He ordered. His tone left no room for arguments. "Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation? Go!"

We left the room urgently, Merida and I's feud forgotten for the moment. We raced down the stairs to look for Rapunzel. First, we checked the gym, then the living area. We finally found her in her room, painting.

"Punzie, Gobber told us to go to the meeting room." Merida informed her.

Rapunzel turned around, looking concerned. "Why? What's wrong?"

I looked grimly at Merida.

"We don't know." I admitted. She nodded.

The three of us made our way to the meeting room silently. Our shoulders bumped each others as we shared worried glances and panicked expressions.

We had formed an easy comraderie with each other these past months, one that was only strengthened with the secrets we shared. Despite Merida's stubborn personality, and Punzie's naivite, we became quick friends. I hadn't felt this close to anyone since Emma...

We reached the meeting room silently. As soon as the glass doors slid shut we sat in our respective seats, adjusting our positions. I had the hood of my blue sweatshirt up, nowadays always covered in frost, creating what Merida liked to call the 'hoodie of solitude'. Rapunzel was the first to speak up.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Merida was busy trying to kill me." I said. Rapunzel barely batted an eye, as this was a regular occurence here. "Before Gobber got all freaky and sent us down here."

"He had his tablet, and looked worried." Merida continued. "Next thing we know, he's telling us to go find you, stay in the meeting room."

"What could have been on that tablet?" Rapunzel said, spinning around in her chair.

"Whatever it was, I pretty sure it's not good news." I said, pulling down my hood.

"Thanks, Frost." Merida droned. "What was your first clue?"

We stayed silent for a few moments before I began rolling around in my chair, out of sheer boredom. I saw Merida roll her eyes from where she was sitting, and I grinned, knowing my lack of focus annoyed her to no end.

We ended up sitting in the meeting room for nearly half an hour, and by then we were so bored worrisome thoughts were far from our minds.

Twenty minutes later, we were playing x's and o's using our powers in the air. Punzie had projected a grid for Merida and I's fire and ice x's and o's to play on. After Merida had won nearly five times in a row, Punzie dropped the grid and Merida and I's figures disappeared. I was about to suggest we go find Gobber, when the doors behind us opened revealing two figures.

Two figures?

 _Hicccup POV_

I awoke to stark lights, harsh flurouscent lightbulbs that hurt my eyes. I groaned and squeezed them shut, the brightness hurting my eyes, weak from slumber.

Where was I?

That one thought was enough to propel me from my lethargy into full conciousness. I sat up, my head reeling with the sudden movement. I was in a very bright room, and there were rows of beds across from me, empty.

Was I in a hospital? But then why was it empty?

I looked around the empty space some more. High-tech equipment lay neatly around the room, none of it in use. To my surprise, not all of it was hospital equipment, or at least, it didn't look like it. I did, however notice a few I.V poles and one or two EKG's.

I turned and sat on the edge of the bed, when a rush of memories swamped me. The machine, the explosion... gods, what had happened?

My legs dangled off the edge of the bed, well at least my leg did. I realised my prosthetic wasn't attached, and was glad I had noticed that before trying to stand. I had woken up and forgotten to attach the contraption before far too many times, and had earned quite a few bruises to show for it.

I looked around, slightly panicked, wondering where it was. I caught sight of the shiny glint of plastic and metal from beside the bed. It was propped up against a white cement wall. I grabbed it, grateful it hadn't been lost. I put it on and once again looked around the room. When I was sure it was secure, I stood.

I looked down at what I was wearing. Surprisingly, it wasn't a hospital uniform, or a robe of any sorts. It was one of my many green shirts from home, and a pair of jeans that came down to my ankles. I spotted my torn pair of black converse laying at the foot of the bed, and I gratefully slipped them on.

I stood quickly and walked around the room, glad to find my legs still worked, and searched for an exit. One of the walls was made of a single glass panel, and the other three painted cement. None of them seemed to hold an actual doorway. An electronic beep, and then a quiet woosh eminated from the glass wall on my left. I spun around and faed a familiar acquaintance.

"Hiccup!" Gobber said, striding into the room.

"Gobber, what-" I began, my voice scratchy from sleep.

To my surprise, Gobber walked right up to me and held me in a bear hug, crushing my body. To my surprise, it didn't hurt as much as I was expecting it to.

"Gobber, hold on-"

"Haha! They said you weren't gonna wake up, but I told 'em you would. Stubborn, just like your old man." My old mentor said brightly, setting me down onto the floor again. I stretched my right arm, which had been pinned to my side during the painful hug.

"Wait, hold on. Not wake up?" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation. "Gobber, where am I?"

Gobber's smile slowly faded and he looked suddenly very tired. He gestured for me to sit down on the bed. I frowned, suddenly worried. Did this have anything to do with the explosion the charged particle manipulator caused?

"What do you remember?" He asked, looking at me through his bushy eyebrows.

"I remember the CPM exploding, and then... I-I guess I fell asleep. Why?" I asked.

"Hiccup, you were asleep for six months." He said, far gentler than normal.

I blanched. Asleep for six months? Half a year, gone, spent asleep, lost in dreams I couldn't remember. Had... had I really been asleep that long? Shouldn't I be dead?

"What happened?" I asked.

"When the CPM exploded, it shook up a lot of people." He said. "And for a few... it changed them."

I stayed silent. This wasn't real. Something so simple as the CPM couldn't have affected anyone. Did I hurt anyone? Gods, if someone had died-

"How did it change them?" I asked weakly, fearing the answer.

Gobber shook his head and gave a short laugh. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

I swallowed.

"I'll try." I challenged, peering at the man carefully.

Gobber smiled, for once, the grin reached his murky green eyes.

"Well, then, let me introduce you to a few people."

We walked down a clean, white hallway with pale laminate flooring. From what I had seen so far, this building was very high-tech, with all the new gadgets anyone could ever want. How Gobber and I of all people had ended up here was beyond my reasoning.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as I followed behind Gobber anxiously. I vaguely wondered where my glasses went, and why I could actually see where I was going without them. The anxiety and nerves that twisted through my gut were enough to distract me from the fact at the time.

We turned a final corner and came face to face with a glass wall, with small frosted glass words explaining which room this was. The small font was still slightly blurry to me, and it was at that moment I realised I still very much, needed my glasses.

I followed Gobber through the simple hallways tensely, and noticed that he walked straight towards the glass pane. Just as I was about to note that he was about to hit it head on, a glass panel suddenly slid open. I entered the room as well, turning to watch as the door slid closed behind me.

I rotated once again to face forwards, observing the scene before me quietly. Sitting inside the room were three teenagers all of them with bright, uncommonly coloured hair. One of them even had a ridiculous amount of it. Simultaneously, they all turned around, and stood when they saw Gobber. Quickly, there eyes darted to my form, still half hidden behind Gobber, back to the door. I felt like I should say something, but nothing would come out.

"Who is he?" The curly-haired redhead demanded. She had an uncommon accent, Scottish, I would presume. The other girl stepped forwards, the one with the unnaturally huge braid of golden blonde hair.

"Are you okay, Gobber?" The blonde asked. "What happened?"

"I had to go get him." Gobber explained, suddenly placing a thick arm around my shoulders, forcing me to bend down so he could rest it comfortably around my neck. Wait, bend down? I was a whole foot shorter than Gobber, I shoudn't have to-

"Who's the boy?" The redhead demanded once again, crossing her arms.

Gobber sighed and removed his arm. I ran a hand through my hair and shifted nervously.

"I think some introductions are in place." Gobber prompted. I remained silent as the boy with bright blue eyes and startling white hair stepped forwards.

"Jack Overland." He said, holding out a hand.

I stared at it for a moment before realising he wanted me to shake it. I reached forwards to grab it, when Jack suddenly jumped back, looking surprised.

"Ow! You shocked me." He whined.

"S-sorry." I muttered, pulling my hand back quickly.

I saw the redhead roll her eyes as she stepped forwards, not bothering to hold her hand out to shake.

"Merida Dun'Broch." She said, and air of pride lancing through her words. I nodded back at her, noting the way she studied me closely.

Finally the blonde haired girl stepped forwards, holding her hand out to shake as well. I reached out warily, and to my surprise she jumped back as well.

"S-sorry." I apologised yet again. "I guess I'm, uh, charged up." I said weakly.

She smiled warmly and dismissed my apology.

"It's fine. My name's Rapunzel Corona."

"Thanks." I muttered, feeling bad about shocking her. There was a short awkward silence before Gobber nudged me, nearly knocking me over.

"Wha-?" I asked, before seeing the small jerk of his head towards the three people standing in front of me.

"Oh, yeah, right." I cleared my throat. "Well, I'm Hiccup Haddock."

Merida snorted. "Hiccup?" She asked. Jack mirrored her expression, and I tried my best not to visibly show my embarassment.

"Great name, I know." I droned.

Gobber frowned at them, but stepped forwards and walked into the center of the room, where an oblong glass table rested. To my surprise, when Gobber tapped it, it lit up and the BERK industries logo appeared in the center. A touch-screen table. I never thought I'd see one f those.

"Why is he here?" Merida asked, jabbing a thumb in my direction.

Gobber snorted. "Why do you think? He's one of you."

The three of them looked like a bombshell had fallen in the room.

"But you said-" Jack started.

"I know what I said." Gobber replied.

"How is he one of us?" Merida asked.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"What would be the only way he could be like us?" He demanded. He then turned to me, looking excited.

"So do you know what your powers are yet?" He asked.

I looked at him like he had gone mad.

"What?" I asked. This was all just a little too much weird for me in one day.

Gobber sighed, and I could tell he was beginning to think, putting together a string of sentences that could help me begin to comprehend what was happening.

"You remember the explosion the CPM set off?" He asked me, the touch screen table lighting up his face in a blue glow.

"Well, I mean, I was there." I answered.

"When I said it affected people, I meant it gave some of them powers." He continued, as though he hadn't heard my sarcastic comment. He gave me a moment to think it over.

"I knew it." I deadpanned. "You're crazy too."

"Can we show him?" Jack interrupted. I looked between the two of them, wondering what kind of practical joke this was supposed to be.

Gobber nodded and Jack looked like Christmas morning had come early. The white-haired boy held out a hand, palm facing the ground. I watched with uncertainty as he swept it to the side and grinned. I looked down at my feet and noticed a thin sheet of frost covering the ground. I cursed and stumbled away.

"What the hell?" I asked.

Jack laughed and slid across the frost. He then held his hand out again, and a snowball appeared in his palm. The snowball disappeared from his grasp and I stared, terrified, as he calmly tucked his hands back into his pockets.

"Jack the cryokinetic, at your service." He mock bowed to me then stepped back with a flourish.

I said nothing, the shock overwhelming me. I was dead. I died in the explosion, or I was still in a coma, hallucinating. This wasn't real. Or maybe I was in a mental hospital, finally having gone crazy. I should have known that much time in the lab around Gobber couldn't be good for my mental health.

Merida stepped forwards, a small smile playing on her lips. Before I could begin to get over the shock of what had happened, her hair burst into flames. I did what any rational person would do, and that was panic.

I jumped back at the sight and rested heavily on a chair resting beside the table. Her hair wasn't burning, as in turning black and shrinking into black slivers. I couldn't smell the acrid scent of hair crisped, I saw no smoke. Her hair was on fire... but it wasn't burning.

"I'm a pyrokinetic, in case you haven't guessed." She stated calmly. Just as fast as the fire had appeared, it dispersed, and I was left gaping at the smug looking redhead.

"I can't control fire, or ice," Rapunzel said quietly. "But I can heal people, and control light."

"Of course." I muttered weakly. "What about you, Gobber? Can you fly?"

"Nope." Gobber said.

"I can." Jack jumped in.

"I knew it. I'm dead." I said, knowing this was the only scientific conclusion.

Gobber chuckled. "No, but you gave it your best shot. Come here." He gestured to the chair beside him.

With my knees shaking, I walked over to the chair and sat down heavily, leaning my elbows on my knees and holding my head in my hands.

"Did I-did I do this?" I asked, not wanting to hear the answer. Gobber's silence was enough. "I really screwed this up, didn't I?"

"Wait a second, you did this?" Merida asked. She turned to Gobber. "He did this?"

"Merida." Gobber cut in, frowning.

"Gobber, if he's the one-"

"Merida." Gobber said, a bit more forcefully, glaring at her. I had seen that glare before, only once, and it had been enough to scare away a Dragon. Merida however, didn't run as I had expected her to. Instead, she became quiet, and retreated back to where she was sitting. The other two followed her lead, until eventually we were all seated around the oval-shaped table.

"Hiccup," Gobber began. "You've got powers too."

I stayed silent.

"How come you weren't this caring when you told us we had powers?" Jack asked. His voice sounded muted.

My head spun, and I felt light-headed. No, no, no. I didn't-I couldn't. No. Powers were not real, there was no science behind it, they didn't exist. People having powers-especially people like me-were reserved for comic books and movies. This wasn't a comic book nor was it a movie.

"Are you ok?" Someone asked me. Rapunzel, I think.

"No." I answered.

Apparently that wasn't the answer she was looking for, beacause she went silent.

"It was hard for us too, but once we start training you it'll get better." Merida told me. "It'll be so easy using them will be second nature."

For some absurd reason, I laughed.

"You don't understand." I said quietly. "Nothing's ever easy for me."

"Stop being so down about it." Jack told me. "Having powers is awesome, not to mention tons of fun."

I sighed. It looked like this was actually happening. I looked up at Gobber, who watched with a careful eye. If I was going to at least try and understand this, I needed to push logic out the window and start believing anything was possible, which apparently, it was.

"Alright." I sighed in resignation. "Explain this to me again."

Gobber nodded. Everyone else grinned.


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright, big changes. I've decided to start writing in third person, hopefully something that will help this story less awkward to read and more enjoyable to write. I've decided I've had enough of first person, and it was time to evolve to a higher level of authordom. Well, here it goes. Hopefully this will be a lot better! Enjoy!**

Rapunzel POV

She sat in her chair beside Jack and across from Merida. Rapunzel already knew that boredom was starting to wear down on Jack, because he began to draw things using frost on the table. She almost told him to stop, knowing that the cold was bad for the table, but refrained form doing so, knowing he would resort to teasing Merida if he had nothing else to do. That was a headache she didn't feel like having.

"So, to sum it up," Hiccup spoke aloud. "I caused an explosion, and then the explosion caused hidden genetics inside each of us to jump start, which gave us magic powers, and therefore caused all known existing laws of the universe to break apart into a thousand nonsensical pieces and scatter along the metaphorical floor of my sanity." He drew a hand across his face.

"To sum it up, yes." Gobber drawled, able to match the boy's sarcasm equally.

"Are we done yet?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Not quite." Gobber said. "Hiccup, there's something else you ought to know."

Rapunzel tensed up. She could sense where this conversation was going, and apparently so did Merida, as she cast a sympathetic look towards Hiccup, the first one he had received from her since he arrived.

"It's about your dad." Gobber said.

Rapunzel looked away; her suspicions were true.

"Don't tell me he has powers too." Hiccup asked, eyes wide with actual fright.

"No, no. Thank Odin, but.." Gobber said quietly, sorrow filling his eyes. "He thinks... we told him you died in the explosion."

"Oh."

"Hiccup?" Rapunzel asked. He didn't move.

"Listen, laddie, I know it's hard, but-" Merida began.

"He thinks I'm dead?" Hiccup asked, his voice cracking.

Gobber nodded.

"He lost her." Hiccup said, sorrow lacing his voice. "Now me."

"Aye." Gobber nodded.

Lost her? Who was 'her'?

The two seemed to be lost in their own solemn thoughts, until Gobber disrupted the silence. He stood and blinked once, hard. Then he turned to us.

"Show Hiccup the gym. Start him off easy. I'll be back."

And with that, he left them alone with the green-eyed teen still lost in thought. The three of them looked to each other nervously. By Jack and Merida's expressions, Rapunzel knew that they expected her to handle this. Before she could even begin consoling Hiccup, he stood and brushed himself off.

"So, uh, the gym." He spoke tentatively, eyes searching their group.

Rapunzel looked a little harder at this tall, lanky boy standing in front of her. He still looked sad, but was putting on a brave front. In only seconds he had managed to create a wall, allowing no one to see the sadness they had only just witnessed.

"Right." Jack cut in, looking very uncomfortable. "The gym."

He nodded as they left the room together, with Hiccup hanging back slightly. Rapunzel could see Merida drop back to join Hiccup, and grew nervous.

Though Merida was a good person, and would never purposefully mean to hurt anyone, she tended to say whatever first came to mind, which could often be taken as harsh and uncaring. To her surprise, however, when Rapunzel looked back she saw Merida smiling, obviously trying to cheer up the boy who's earth had just been shattered.

When they finally reached the gym, Jack pulled open the polished steel doors dramatically to reveal a welcoming sight.

"Welcome to the gym." Jack announced, striding in first, his steps bouncy and self-assured.

He stepped aside to reveal the gigantic room that took up half of the underground section. The bright lights hung overhead, illuminating the space with a warm glow. There were broken targets strewn across the floor and melted metal disks leftover from Merida's training earlier this morning. Rapunzel cringed at how messy it must have looked, but no one else seemed to mind.

Rapunzel observed Hiccup as he looked around curiously, poking one of the charred wooden targets with the toe of his shoe.

"Sorry. Forgot to clean up this morning." Merida said, almost sounding sincere.

"You did this?" Hiccup asked, bending down to closer observe a melted metal disc.

"Yeah. I'm working on my aim with higher temperatures." She said.

It seemed that Merida didn't hate Hiccup as much as everyone had expected her to. Rapunzel had figured that there may be some spite with her, but it looked like the calming and kind demeanor of the boy before her had worn down her normally persistent prejudice.

"How?" Hiccup asked.

Rapunzel began to notice a familiar spark in his forest green eyes, one that she normally only saw on Gobber when he began talking about machines. Rapunzel saw Jack cast her a knowing look, as they both knew where this was heading. It happened every time a new report popped up on Gobber's computer screen.

"Well, I know that the hotter the fire, the higher it tends to go, so I've been trying to aim low." Merida explained, crossing her arms over her turquoise shirt.

Hiccup was silent for a second. "Can you control the heat of the fire from a distance?"

"Yes." Merida said, sounding a bit miffed by his assumption that she couldn't do something.

"Then aim as you normally would, but only increase the heat when it reaches impact. That way the heat already coming from the explosion will intensify and melt it much faster, without impairing your aim. The corona of a blast is ten times hotter than the heat of the fire itself, so intensifying it will only increase it's damage upon impact."

All three of us stared at him.

"What?" He asked, starting to look uncomfortable.

"That sounded like something an excited Gobber would say when he gets all science-y." Jack noted casually.

"That's a pretty advanced examination of thermodynamics." I heard Merida say. "How old are you?"

"Uh, 17. Why?" He asked, looking a little suspicious.

"You actually listened in school?" Jack asked, sounding mildly impressed someone other than Rapunzel could ever care enough to listen closely to school lectures.

Hiccup scratched the back of his head. "Well, not in high school."

"University?" Rapunzel asked, awed. She had never thought she'd ever get to go to university, not with her mother breathing down her neck and her lack of real-world expertise.

"Well, no. I was going to accept a scholarship. One of them, sometime, long ago, I guess." He explained, as though that mattered. "I'm taking courses online."

"You're a bloody genius." Merida said, sounding slightly impressed.

"Uh, no. Not a genius. I've just got a lot of free time." He stood and looked around the room, his expression soon turning into one of disbelief. "So, uh, Gobber said something about... you know, finding powers and all that."

Rapunzel nodded numbly. She had been home schooled her whole life, her mother always telling her she was a bright student despite Rapunzel's yearning to go to school to study with people her own age. Not to mention Hiccup seemed rather young to be taking university level classes, online nonetheless. Perhaps he was a genius, or maybe he really did just have a lot of free time.

Jack leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

"We should check for flight, first." He murmured with a mischievous grin.

Rapunzel frowned at him as Merida continued to gesture around the gym, introducing the spacious area to the newbie. Checking for flight meant pushing someone out of a window without telling them there was someone at the bottom to catch them. If they could fly, they saved themselves before they landed. If not, well, that was what the other person was for.

"That's a little harsh." Rapunzel admitted. She didn't want to terrify Hiccup on his first day here.

Jack grinned anyways and walked over to Hiccup, placing a hand on his shoulder, almost the same height as his own. Too late, she realized, he was going to do it.

"Come on, Hiccup. We'll find your powers tomorrow." Jack told him, his voice a little too excited to sound casual. "I'll show you our advanced systems upstairs."

Hiccup glanced back at Rapunzel and Merida for support. Merida only sighed and followed behind him, knowing the drill. Rapunzel bit the inside of her cheek, knowing this was wrong, but following anyways. It was the best way to check for flight.

She sighed, feeling guilty, but followed behind Merida despite her warnings against it.

Merida POV

Merida trailed behind Jack who desperately tried to make easy conversation with an obviously distrusting Hiccup. She couldn't blame him, Jack wasn't the easiest person to trust with his troublemaker grin and mischievous sparkle in his eyes. These aspects were familiar to her because of the fact that she saw them every time she had looked at her brothers. Still, this was the most effective way, and probably the only way they would be able to discover if he could fly.

She also kind of wanted to push someone out a window.

When they finally reached Gobber's office, Merida was thankful it was empty. Gobber hated intruders, especially those without his permission, and definitely wouldn't approve of the four of them doing this.

The door had been left wide open and the lights remained shining. Jack took this as a welcoming sign and waltzed right in, chattering excitedly to help fill the suspicious silence.

"What are we doing in here?" Hiccup asked.

Merida snuck around behind him and opened the window quietly, feeling guilty, but excited. The only time she had witnessed an event such as this was when Jack had been pushed out the window, to test for his own flight. That event had been no fun, because he had begun to hover above them almost immediately.

"I'm giving you a tour." Jack grinned. Hiccup began to turn around, attempting to see what was happening behind him, but before he could even protest Jack gave him a harsh shove out the window. He didn't even have time to scream.

"I really hate doing this." Rapunzel said. She rushed to the window and looked down to the ground. "Jack-"

"I got it." Jack announced, jumping out the window.

Merida hadn't realized it was already dark out, a tendril of worry beginning to eat away at her. They waited a few moments, before becoming too anxious for news from Jack. What was going on? Did Jack catch him? Had something happened?

"Guys." Jack called out worriedly, as though sensing their shifting thoughts. "I can't find him."

Merida and Rapunzel shared a panicked look. The guilt that had first begun to eat away at them now engulfed their entire being. They rushed over to the window and stuck their heads out the window. Merida lit a hand and held it out, looking down at the ground. Rapunzel's hair began to glow brightly, at the same time shining two beams of light on the ground. Twin golden spotlights swept from side to side.

"What do you mean you can't find him?" Merida demanded, a sharp edge of worry in her voice.. "Where'd he go?"

"This is terrible." Rapunzel said, fretting. "I'm a despicable human being. We never should have done this."

Merida scanned the ground carefully for any sign of the lanky teen they had pushed out a window. Rapunzel was right; they never should have done this. How did they know Hiccup was even special? There were no crazy attributes about him that could indicate a change, strong emotions hadn't affected him. Maybe he was just a boring, old, regular-

There was a faint whistling from overhead. Merida frowned and tilted her head to listen. No airplanes passed over this building, this was a restricted air zone. The whistling grew until it sounded like it was right over their heads. Merida managed to look up just in time to be plowed over by an object flying through the window.

On instinct, Merida's hair caught fire as she rolled over. As she pushed herself onto her side, she first checked to see if Rapunzel was okay, and when she saw her crawling to her feet, she moved onto what had attacked them. The thing that had crashed into the duo was now groaning, and rolling slowly onto his back.

"You guys are jerks." Hiccup muttered, let his head fall against the ground as he sighed.

Merida breathed a sigh of relief. It had only been Hiccup.

"So you can fly." She said. Interesting.

"Apparently." Hiccup replied, not sounding very impressed. He hadn't moved much from his place on the floor.

"That's great." Rapunzel said brightly, looking relieved as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "You do have powers."

Hiccup just grunted and pushed himself off the ground. Merida held out a hand to offer him some help, but pulled it back when she felt a sharp jolt pass between their fingers. Hiccup tumbled to the ground as she clutched her hand to her chest.

"Ouch." Merida hissed. "You shocked me."

Hiccup apologized as he heaved himself off the floor.

"Sorry about shoving you out the window." Jack announced as he flew into the room. Accompanying him was a cold breeze, causing goosebumps to appear on their arms. "At least we know you can fly."

"I'm starting to question your methods." Hiccup said, looking sightly put out. She supposed being thrown out a window before finding out you could fly would do that to a person.

"They're not my methods. They're Gobber's." Jack defended.

Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it, reluctantly agreeing. Apparently Gobber's do-first-think-later techniques were well known with him.

"How did you do it?" Rapunzel asked as they began to clear out of the room. She looked relieved that Hiccup hadn't been hurt, but still a little guilty. The four of them began making their way back downstairs slowly.

"I tried not to die." Hiccup deadpanned. Merida rolled her eyes.

"But how?" Rapunzel repeated.

"When I fly, I use the wind to hold me up." Jack elaborated, hoping to simplify the question. "Some nice aerokinesis, if you will."

"I don't know." Hiccup answered, looking confused. "I guess I just kinda... I don't know."

Merida took a closer look at the tallest one of the group. She didn't think anymore training today was a good idea. Despite being asleep for six months, Hiccup looked completely exhausted. Tell tale signs of restless sleep caused him to drag his feet and blink slowly as they progressed forwards.

"I'll show you where the bedrooms are." Merida interrupted. She was growing tired as well, the image of her poorly made bed flashing through her mind.

"Uh, sure." Hiccup said. He turned and waved a little awkwardly at Rapunzel and Jack. "Well... see you guys in the morning, I guess."

"Bye." Rapunzel said, grabbing Jack's sleeve and leading him around the corner.

"Right." Merida said. "This way."

She began walking down the hallway, allowing Hiccup to jog in order to catch up.

"So, uh... pyrokinesis." He said feebly, trying to begin a conversation. "How did you find out?"

Merida took a deep breath. "It was about three days after I woke up. Gobber had just told me my family thought I was dead, and I got angry. My hair caught fire."

"Oh." Hiccup said simply. Merida wasn't the best in story telling, and apparently Hiccup wasn't the best with replies, either.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked, cautiously looking up at Hiccup.

His eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

"Earlier, when you said your dad had lost her, who were you talking about?" She asked, hoping she hadn't crossed some invisible, personal line. Hiccup blinked, then looked away.

"My mom." He mumbled. "She was- she died a few years ago."

"Oh." Merida said, shocked. Now she felt like she had intruded on something personal, and felt bad for doing so.

He shoved his left hand into the pockets of his jeans, searching for something. He carefully pulled out a slightly crinkled piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to her.

"It's the only picture with her and I in it." He explained sheepishly.

Merida took the dainty little piece of paper and looked at it closely. There was a short, skinny little boy standing beside a tall, elegant woman. They shared identical smiles as they stood in front of a house.

"This is you?" Merida asked, curious.

Hiccup nodded.

"This looks nothing like you." She told him.

Hiccup frowned. "I don't look that different. Maybe a bit taller, and more freckles, but-"

Merida shook her head, persistent. She handed the photo back before remembering something; the change.

"Hiccup, have you looked in a mirror recently?" She asked him, not meaning for it to sound as rude as it did.

Hiccup looked slightly taken aback. "Uh, well, no. It wasn't exactly a priority-"

Merida grabbed his sleeve and led him towards the last room on the left wing of the hallway, the one next to hers. She swung the door open and led him into the barren room, deride of any personality. She had almost forgotten how sterile and cold these rooms could be when not being lived in.

Merida stopped in front of the oblong mirror that hung beside the neat bed. She placed a stammering Hiccup in front of it and stepped aside. He peered into the mirror, first confused, then awed.

"This isn't-it's not me, is it?" He asked, sounding simultaneously impressed and overwhelmed. "Do I actually... I look like this?"

Merida nodded.

He ran a shaky hand through his messy auburn hair. His deep green eyes widened as he continued staring at his reflection. Merida could sympathize with him, knowing how shocking it was first seeing yourself after waking up.

"Wow." He finally said.

Merida grinned. "Six months of sleep really changes a person, doesn't it?"

"Apparently." Hiccup muttered, finally tearing his gaze from the mirror.

He looked around the room, taking in the view.

"It's not much." She explained, hoping to answer a few of the questions probably swirling through his head. "But after a while, it gets better."

Hiccup nodded and ran another hand through his messy hair.

"I should get going." She told him, tiredness causing her eyelids to droop. "We'll have to get up early to find any other powers of yours."

"I have more?" Hiccup asked, amazed.

She shrugged. "We won't know until tomorrow." Merida walked over to the door.

"Hey, uh, Merida?" Hiccup said. "Uh, thanks for, you know, not hating me and everything."

She couldn't help but grin. "Don't be late."

"Yeah." Hiccup said quietly as she left the room.

When Merida finally made it into her own room, she was half asleep. She closed the door and took a deep breath. Today had been a long day. A very long, long day.


End file.
